Among the thousands of mourners paying their respects to slain Jersey City Police Officer Melvin Santiago are numerous people who never met him but felt compelled to attend his viewing today at McLaughlin Funeral Home on Journal Square.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know if it is because it happened close to my house, but it just touched me,” said Mary Lulac of Jersey City who never met Santiago but was in line to enter the funeral home. “He was a young guy and he was just trying to do his job. It’s such a stupid way to go. Such a stupid act.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Lulac said “All the mothers in my building were crying like it was their own son. I guess today, he is Jersey City’s son.”

Martha McGuire of Secaucus never met Santiago but she too is here for his viewing.

“These guys go out every day rain or shine, it doesn’t matter, and they have a special heart to do this job and I’m just here to show my support for the police department, Officer Santiago and his family,” McGuire said.

Josh Arambulo of Bayonne was also at the wake. He said he has heard of police officers being killed in the line of duty before but Santiago's death touched him.

“I heard about it in the news and I feel really bad about what happened and I just wanted to pay my respects,” said Arambulo as he waited in line to enter the funeral home. “He was a rookie. He only worked for six months and this happened to him. It’s tragic.”